This invention relates to a prophylactic treatment for skin conditions characterized by malodor of the body, and to a therapeutic treatment for diseases characterized by defective keratinization including ichthyosis, dandruff and acne, and specifically to the compounds and their chelation derivatives which have been found to be effective, when topically applied, to achieve a complete absence of malodor from the treated body areas, and to resolve the skin lesions associated with the above diseases in humans.